Gyroscope



GYRSCOPE Alan M. Campbell, Weston, l'vlass., assigner, by mesneassignments, to Minneapolis-Honeywell Reguiator Company, a corporationof Delaware Application April 15, 1954, Serial No. 423,267

6 Claims. (Cl. 74-5) This invention relates to a gyroscope having staticbalancing means and pertains more specifically to a gyroscope having incombination static balancing means together with means for adjusting therotor bearings without disturbing the static balance.

One object of the invention is to provide a gyroscope having adjustablestatic balancing means which is readily accessible for adjustment afterassembly of the gyroscope.

Another object is to provide a gyroscope having such a static balancingmeans which may readily be locked in any desired position.

A further object is to provide a gyroscope having a static balancingmass adjustably secured to the stator for movement axially with respectto the rotor and stator together with releasable locking means forsecuring the mass in fixed position with respect to the stator.

Another object is to provide a gyroscope having means for adjusting therotor bearings at opposite sides of the rotor simultaneously withoutsubstantially affecting the static balance of the assembled gyroscope.

Still a further object is to provide a gyroscope of simple constructionwhich is readily assembled and which may readily be statically balancedafter assembly.

Other and further objects will be apparent from the drawing and from thedescription which follows.

ln the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view in vertical section showing one embodiment of theinvention;

Fig. 2 is a view in vertical section of a portion of a second embodimentof the invention;

Fig. 3 is a detail view of the rotor shaft showing the difference inpitch of the threads at opposite ends of the shaft and showing a socketin the end of the shaft for rotating it;

Fig. 4 is a detail View of the stator viewed from the right as seen inFig. l;

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the static balancing mass as seen from theright in Fig. l.

As shown in Fig. 1, the gyroscope includes generally a gimbal framecarrying stub shafts 11, 12 at opposite ends which are journaled in anysuitable housing or frame 13, 13. Mounted transversely of gimbal frame10 is shaft 14 about which are mounted rotor 15 and stator 16. Stator 16is secured at its base to gimbal frame t@ by means of suitable screws orbolts 17, 17.

Mounted about the periphery of stator 16 is a laminated core member 21and a conventional winding 20 to -which power may be supplied from anysuitable source not shown) to drive the rotor. Rotor is mounted on shaft14 by means of two ring-type ball bearings 22, 23 spaced apart by meansof sleeve spacer 24, the spacer 24 engaging the outer race of eachbearing and being itself secured by a shrink t within the hub of therotor. The bearings 22, 23 are held in fixed position axially of shaft14 by means of an internal shoulder 30 on stator 16 and shoulder 31 ongimbal frame 10, the two shoulders bearing on the respective inner racesof bearings l2,827,788 Patented Mar. 25, 1958 22, 23, being held in thatposition by means of nuts or thrust members 32, 33 threaded on shaft 14at opposite ends thereof. Threaded portions 34, 35 at opposite ends ofthe shaft are of different pitch, matching the pitch of nuts 32 and 33,respectively. A socket 36 is provided in one end of shaft 14 to enableit to be rotated within the assembly by means of a suitable socket-typewrench. Because of the difference in pitch of the threads at oppositeends of the shaft, rotation of the shaft in one direction causes thesides of the gimbal frame to be pressed together, while rotation in theopposite direction permits the sides of the gimbal frame 10 to springapart, thus varying the load on bearings 22, 23.

Static balancing mass 40 consists of an annular mass threaded within thehollow body portion of stator 16 and is provided with a number of spaceddepressions or concavities 41, 41 on its bottom face. Stator 16 isprovided with an elongated arcuate slot 42 in its bottom face, whichpermits insertion of a suitable tool therethrough to engage withconcavities 41, 41 and rotate mass 40, thus moving it axially of thestator and rotor along shaft 14. Screw 43 threaded into the bottom ofstator 16 is in a position to engage concavities 41 as the mass 4t? isrotated and may be employed to lock mass 40 in any desired ixed positionwith respect to stator 16. Although an opening through gimbal frame 10may be provided to facilitate access to the outer end of screw 43, it ispreferable to assemble the device with the stator rotated from theposition shown in Figs. 1 and 2 so that the end of screw 43 is alongsidethe gimbal frame and hence readily accessible.

In Fig. 2, a second embodiment of the invention is shown Vin whichbearings 5t), 51 are provided with flanges on their outer races whichengage opposite sides of rotor 15, thus eliminating the necessity forseparate spacer element 24. The inner races of bearings 50, 51 areengaged by shoulders 39, 31 as in the case of the embodiment shown inFig. l.

After assembly of the device of the present invention as shown in Fig. lor 2, static balance of the whole assembly may be achieved by backingott' screw 43, then inserting a small rod or screw driver through slot42 and rotating mass 40 by means of depressions or concavities 41.Rotation of mass 40 is continued in the desired direction until thedesired static balance has been achieved, whereupon screw 43 is advancedto engage the appropriate concavty 41 and lock mass 40 in the desiredfixed position. Either before or after static balance is achieved, theplay in bearings 22, 23 or bearings 50, 51, as the case may be, may beadjusted by varying the load on the inner races of the bearings. This isaccomplished simply by insertion of a suitable wrench in socket 36 atthe end of shaft 14 and rotation of the shaft in the desired direction.Because of the difference in pitch of the threaded portions 34, 35 atopposite ends of the shaft, the sides of gimbal frame 10 will be forcedtogether or permitted to spring apart, as the case may be, thus varyingthe load on both sets of bearings simultaneously from opposite sides, sothat no substantial disturbance of the static balance occurs.

Although I have herein described specitc embodiments of my invention, Ido not intend to limit myself solely thereto, but to include all of theobvious variations and modifications within the spirit and scope of theappended claims.

I claim:

l. A gyroscope comprising in combination a hollow rotor, an internallythreaded hollow stator mounted within said rotor, means for staticallybalancing said gyroscope including an externally threaded massthreadedly engaged within said stator for movement along the axis v g Y'2,827,788 n l Y Y",

4Vof the'rotor upon'rotation'of the mass with respect to the istator.,andmeans Yfor releasably locking the mass to the stator. t

2. A gyroscope comprising in combination a hollow cupfshaped rotor, anintcrnally threaded hollow cup- Sh'aped vstatorimounted .within saidrotor with' its'bottom disposed Vadiacentnthe open face of saidrotorland having Y an aperturetin itsfhottom, means for vstatically balancingsaid gyroscope including a mass threadedly engaged withintzsaidzstatorifor vmovement axially of .said rotor. upon rotation of said mass withrespect to said stator, said mass having. Y1t/its face adjacent. thebottom of the stator means .engageable through ,said apertureforrotation of the mass withrespect tothe stator, and locking meansforreleasablysecuring said mass in xed position with respectfto.thestaton 3. A gyroscope as defined Yinclaim 2 wherein said lock- Zingmfansompri'ses',aholttengaging saidmass through adjustment meansincluding rthreaded portions on said shaft a1'oppositt: .sides ofsaidbearings, the pitch of one threaded portion being different from thepitch of the other, thrust means for engaging said bearings at oppositesides including a member threaded on each said threaded portion, andmeans for rotating said shaft withinV said members to urge said memberstoward and away from each other simultaneously by reason of saiddifference in pitch. "L

6. A gyrioscope comprising in combinationV a `gimbal frame, la shaftextending through opposite sides of said frame, a hollow cup-shapedVrotor mounted on'spaeed apart bearings on saidrshaft, an internallythreaded hollow cup-shaped stator-mounted 'about said shaft within saidrotor with the bottom of said stator disposed adjacent the open face ofsaid rotor and secured to said gimbal frame, said bottom having anaperture therethrough,V

means for statically balancing said gyroscope including a massthreadedlyV engaged within said stator for Vmovement axially of saidshaft upon'rotation of the mass vwith re-A spect-tosaid-stator, meansatthe yface-of said mass adjacent the bottom of the stator engageahlethrough said Y aperture for'rotating said mass with respect to thestator,

of one threaded portion being different from the pitch of Y the other,thrust means for,` engaging said bearings at opposite sides including Aamember threaded on each said threaded portion, and meansfor rotatingsaid shaft within said members to urge said members simultaneouslytoward and away from each other by reason of said diff ference in pitch.

5..A gyroscope comprising in combination a hollow cup-shaped rotormounted on spaced bearings on a shaft,

an internally threaded hollow cup-shaped stator mounted means forreleasably'locking saidmass inrtixed position withvrespect to saidstator, and bearing adjustment means for loa-dingsaid spaced bearingsYsimultaneously from opposite sides including av-threaded portion ateach end-of said shaft, thepitchof one threaded portion being differentfrom the pitch of the other, 1Va-nutthreaded on each cnd oftheshafthearingagainst the outer face of said.

frame sides: and means forrotati-ng said shaft within said nutsV to movesaid-nuts and-saidframe sides toward and away 'from each other `byreason oisaid difference in pitch to varythe load onlsaid hearings.

References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,136,666 Gardner Apr. 20, 1915 2,299,231 Heintz et--al Oct.'20, 19422,301,700 Heintz Nov. 10, 1942 2,353,139 Beach a July 11, 1944 2,485,280Y lGrace ,Oct. 18, 1949 2,581,965 Miller Jan. 8, 1952 2,711,356 EnsingerJune 21, 1955 2,714,311' `Dobson et al Aug. V2V, 1955 FOREEGN PATENTS554,594 .Great Britain V July 12,1943

